2007-08 UCLA Basketball Preview

Without Arron Afflalo, who
left early for the NBA, UCLA is suddenly a team that will not be perimeter
orientated anymore. However, they have a couple of great guards who will keep
the numbers on the perimeter extremely productive. Point guard Darren Collison
had his breakout year as a sophomore in 2006-2007, averaging 12.7 points and 5.7
assists. The lightning quick Collison even ranked second in the conference in
assist-to-turnover ratio and that is not too bad for a guy who was in his first
year as a starter. He will do a lot of damage on the offensive end, but his
defense may be his greatest asset. Josh Shipp will take over Afflalo’s spot at
the two guard after playing small forward last season. Unlike Collison, who shot
44.7 percent from beyond the arc, the Bruins will need Shipp to be a more
consistent long range shooter.

Who’s Out:

Of course the Bruins will
miss Afflalo and his 16.9 points per game, but there is plenty of talent ready
to step up and earn some more playing time. Afflalo made 2.4 long balls per game
and that is what UCLA might end up missing the most. Collison can take over some
of that outside shooting, but Shipp and the guys off the bench will have to
help. Forward Ryan Wright is the only other departing player. He has opted to
transfer after seeing limited minutes in 28 contests last season.

Who’s In:

It is all about Kevin Love.
Very, very few freshmen could come into Westwood and be a presumed starter this
year, but Love is one of them. Remember the days when Lorenzo Mata was the
interior scoring threat at UCLA? The Bruins only made two Final Fours with him
on the floor, and he even returns, albeit with a new extended name. With Love,
UCLA has a dominating offensive presence under the basket. Love has an outside
shot that can extend out to the three-point line, but he will do most of his
damage under the basket, either scoring or dishing out to his open teammates
when the inevitable double or triple teams come his way. Soon enough Love will
be more famous than his father, Stan, who played in the NBA and maybe even his
uncle, Mike, who sang lead for the Beach Boys. It would be nice for Chace
Stanback to earn some accolades as well, but the 6-8 wing will take a backseat
to Love in this recruiting class. Stanback is a decent athlete and, once he
gains a little more strength, he will be a tough match-up for the opposition.
David McGrath, a 6-5 forward who redshirted last year, will also be suiting up
for the Bruins after spending a couple years at Moorpark College.

Who to Watch:

Lorenzo Mata-Real, who added
his mother’s last name, will still be in the starting lineup. However, now he
will be able to concentrate on being a defensive specialist under the basket and
leave the scoring to Love. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will move to the small
forward spot after averaging 8.2 points and 7.4 rebounds last year. That is a
big frontline that will dominate the glass game in and game out. Mbah a Moute
has been working on his jump shot, yet he will still not be a typical shooting
wing player, which is why getting more consistent shooting from Shipp is so
important since it certainly will not come from Mbah a Moute. Alfred Aboya has
plenty of experience and will be a solid contributor off the bench again this
year. Sophomore James Keefe did not see much playing time last year, but he has
the potential to be a solid player once he recovers from a shoulder injury that
is expected to keep him out until January.

Final Projection:

The biggest concern for the
Bruins is depth. While there is a drop off after Collison and Shipp in the
backcourt, Michael Roll and Russell Westbrook are not bad players. Roll will add
some sharpshooting off the bench, but his defense, or lack thereof, will keep
him off the floor at times. Westbrook is the backup point guard and had a decent
freshman campaign, averaging 3.4 points in just nine minutes per game. He is a
good enough scorer to fill in at the two guard spot as well if Coach Ben Howland
wants another ball handler on the floor. As long as injuries stay away, UCLA is
arguably the best team in arguably the best conference in the nation. Some of
the depth may be unproven, but that is because the Bruins have not needed those
guys to play. Players like Westbrook and Aboya have enough talent to start
should somebody go down with an injury. They definitely have enough talent to
fill in off the bench when the starters need a break.

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About Joel Welser

ColumnistCollege Preview Editor

Contactjwelser@collegehoops.net

Background

"Joel Welser does a tremendous job covering college basketball. He gives his readers knowledgeable and insightful information on college hoops." -Ernie Zeigler, Head Basketball Coach, Central Michigan University "Joel Welser writes clean, knowledgeable copy that always hits deadline." -Greg Eno, former editor-in-chief, Motor City Sports Magazine Growing up in Michigan, Joel Welser inherited a love for Big Ten sports. After defying all family traditions and not going to Michigan State, Joel headed out west to earn his bachelor degree from California State University, Northridge in Cinema Television Arts, specializing in screenwriting. For reasons still unknown, after his stint in Hollywood, Joel headed back to Michigan where he remains to this day complaining about the cold. Joel has found a successful formula with the popular top 144 series at collegehoops.net and has also written college football and college basketball previews and articles for various websites and magazines.